living. Charles, our subject, was a
resident of Scott County, Iowa, a period of four
years, from 1852 until 1856, when he came to Nebraska,
settling at first in the city of Omaha. For some years
afterward he was engaged as a teamster across the
plains, being the pioneer of this business, making his
first journey in the fall of 1859. For two years he
lived in Colorado, and had ample experience with
frontier life, and some experience with Indians. Upon
coming to this county he purchased, in 1868, 331 acres
of land which comprises the fine homestead in his
possession to-day. He has himself effected all the
improvements upon it, laying off the land into
convenient fields with neat fences, putting up a
residence, barns and out-buildings, gathering together
the farm stock and machinery, and has now one of the
most desirable estates in the county. Among the
numerous views presented in this volume may be found
that of the residence and surroundings belonging to
this gentleman. Our subject, in 1873, was united in
marriage with Miss Jane Williams, the wedding taking
place at the home of the bridegroom in McWilliams
Precinct, Mrs. Dann was born in Toronto, Canada, and
came to the States with her uncle in 1867; her parents
were John and Henrietta (Fitzgerald) Williams. Her
father was a carpenter by occupation, and a native of
Closbyshire, England. He crossed the Atlantic in 1850,
and spent his last years in Palmyra Precinct, on the
western line of this county, where his death took
place about 1883. Mrs. Dann lived for several years
before her marriage with her uncle in Nebraska. Of her
union with our subject there has been born one child,
a daughter, Ettia M., who continues at home with her
parents. Mr. Dann has become thoroughly Americanized,
meddles very little with politics, and signifies his
sentiments of freedom and equality by voting
independently.

ENRY
BRINKMANN occupies an uncontroverted position among
the substantial farmers of Otoe County, and is located
on section 14 of Syracuse Precinct. He is native of
Hanover, Germany, where he was born on the 9th of
January, 1827. In early life he was bound as an
apprentice, and learned the trade of a tailor, but did
not follow it after attaining his majority. At that
time he was united in marriage with Louisa Tagmeyer,
who was born in Prussia in the year 1829.
Our subject and his young wife
settled in the village of Neauberg, and their
residence being quite large they derived quite an
income from the rental of rooms by them unneeded for
other purposes. Mr. Brinkmann gave his attention to
agricultural pursuits, and being a thorough, practical
man, and fully conversant with farming. was enabled to
support his family in comfort and comparative
affluence, and also accumulated a surplus.
The first misfortune that befell Mr.
Brinkmann came to him in the year 1858, when his wife
was removed from his side by the imperious and never
to be denied destroyer, death, leaving him with two
little ones who had been born to them. One of these is
now deceased; the other, Lena, now the wife of August
Bartling, of Beatrice, this State.
Some time after the above
bereavement our subject became the husband of
Christina Bierman. He continued to make his home in
Germany until the year 1869, then with his family he
took passage at Bremen on the steamship "Baltimore,"
and after a stormy passage of eighteen days' duration
landed in the harbor of the city of the same name.
This trip was anything but pleasant, and will always
be remembered. Mrs. Brinkmann was sick throughout the
passage, and the task of caring for her and their
little family devolved upon him.
Landing at Baltimore Mr. Brinkmann
was unable either to speak or understand one word of
the English tongue, and unfortunately he fell into the
hands of men whose despicable employment it was to
fleece him and others similarly situated of their
little hard-earned store, rather than lend a hand to
smooth the difficulties from his path and assist him
on his way. He purchased, as he supposed, a railroad
ticket for Nebraska City, but upon reaching Chicago
was called upon for $30 more in order to carry him to
Council Bluffs, where another $15 was demanded to take
him to Nebraska City. The railroad company left him at
Eastford, opposite Nebraska City, where he was met by
a Mr. Stroup, who, instead of telling him that his
tickets

498

OTOE COUNTY.

good to the city, took him in and
kept him overnight at his hotel, if such a place as he
used for that purpose could by any stretch of the
imagination be deemed fit for such designation, even
though a word of such vast latitude as that of "hotel"
be used. In the morning he was called upon for $11
hotel bill, and a man was hired to bring him to where
he now lives, and for this was charged an additional
$10. Looking back over this experience he cannot but
contrast it with the fact that he has many times since
taken a full load of potatoes to Nebraska City, and
only realized one-half that amount.
The troubles of our subject were not
over, although he had reached Nebraska City. He had
come thus far to a half-brother who had been in the
country several years, and owned a piece of land in
the neighborhood. In all kindness of heart this
gentleman sold to our subject forty acres of land at
$19 per acre, and when subsequently he learned that he
could have obtained just as good or better for $5, or
which would have been even of greater advantage to
him, have entered a homestead, he did not appreciate
his relative's goodness as he had done at first. Upon
his arrival he had $1,346 left, but at the end of one
year he was in debt. The land was almost wholly
unimproved, his house was but a shanty, and having no
team he was compelled to exchange work with his
neighbors, in order to effect anything at all.
The first true friend our subject
met upon American soil was a gentleman who still
occupies a prominent position in Nebraska City, and
whose life story will be found presented in
compendious form in this volume. This was Carl Korff,
who, appreciating the situation, gave him kindly and
valuable counsel, trusted him with goods and other
things that were needed, and extended to him a helping
hand. Our subject worked on the construction of the
railroad at Belmont, and the family managed as best
they could in very straitened circumstances for over
two years, living chiefly upon corn bread, hearing
their hardships and trials in a bright and cheerful
spirit, although many a tear was shed when the
situation in all its forcefulness presented itself
before them. But this has long since passed away. With
the help of the good Samaritan friend, slowly but
surely he has progressed, and to-day, if he needed it,
could raise an almost unlimited amount in a very few
hours. He is one of the largest land-owners of the
county, having 600 acres of pasture land which is
occupied by large herd of cattle, and which he has
leased.
The second wife of our subject died
on the 22d of March, 1871. She was the mother of seven
children, three of whom are now living, viz: Minnie,
Charley and Freda. The other children died in Germany.
On the 30th of June, 1871, he was united in marriage
with Sophia Steba. This lady was born in Mecklenburg,
Germany, in 1842, and is the daughter of John and Mary
Steba. Her father died in his native country, and
after that bereavement her mother came to the United
States, and now resides in this county. She has three
sisters also living in this State, who bear the names
Mary, Minnie and Frederika. Site has presented her
husband with five children, four of whom now survive,
viz: Henry, who was born on the 26th of April, 1872;
Anna, on the 10th of February, 1875; Mary, Feb. 25,
1877; Sophia, on the 22d of January, 1885.
The subject of our sketch is one of
the substantial and earnest members of the Lutheran
Church, as is also his wife. He is a stanch adherent
of the Democratic party, and has so been since he has
been able to understand and appreciate the
institutions and political relations of his adopted
country. He is very highly esteemed throughout the
community, and has a character that will bear the
closest investigation. As a result he holds an
unrivaled position in the community as a man of honor
and integrity.

EORGE
K. BOTTCHER is successful as a general farmer, and
operates 260 acres on section 17, McWilliams Precinct;
the farm usually produces good crops, even when others
fail, for the reason that it is watered by the Nemaha
River, which is a most valuable acquisition. This farm
he has owned since 1883, but his connection with the
State dates from one year earlier. Previously he had
lived in Gasconade County, Mo.,